[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2896 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2896

    To normalize trade relations with Cuba, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2000

 Mr. Baucus (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Roberts) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To normalize trade relations with Cuba, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Cuba Trade Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING TRADE WITH CUBA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) with the end of the cold war and the collapse of the 
        Soviet Union, Cuba is no longer a threat to the United States 
        or the Western Hemisphere;
            (2) the continuation of the embargo on trade between the 
        United States and Cuba that was declared in February 1962 is 
        counterproductive, adding to the hardships of the Cuban people 
        while making the United States the scapegoat for the failures 
        of the Communist system;
            (3) in the former Soviet Union, the Eastern bloc countries, 
        China, and Vietnam, the United States is using economic, 
        cultural, academic, and scientific engagement to support its 
        policy of promoting democratic and human rights reforms;
            (4) extension to Cuba of unconditional normal trade 
        relations treatment would assist Cuba in developing its economy 
        based on free market principles and becoming competitive in the 
        global marketplace;
            (5) the United States can best support democratic change 
        and human rights in Cuba by promoting trade and commerce, 
        travel, communications, and cultural, academic, and scientific 
        exchanges;
            (6) expanding bilateral trade relations is likely to 
        promote further progress in Cuba on human rights and democratic 
        rule and assist Cuba in adopting regional and world trading 
        rules and principles; and
            (7) Cuba was one of the founding members of the General 
        Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947 and is an original 
        member of the World Trade Organization, and extension of 
        unconditional normal trade relations treatment to Cuba would 
        enable the United States to avail itself of all rights under 
        the World Trade Organization with respect to Cuba;
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should promote democratic change and 
        economic reform by normalizing trade relations with Cuba; and
            (2) upon the enactment of this Act, it will no longer be 
        necessary for the United States to continue to use Article XXI 
        of the GATT 1994 with respect to Cuba, understanding that the 
        President retains full authority to invoke Article XXI of the 
        GATT 1994 and comparable provisions in other Uruguay Round 
        Agreements in the future in all appropriate circumstances.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``GATT 1994'' and 
``Uruguay Round Agreements'' have the meanings given those terms in 
section 2 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO THE PRODUCTS OF 
              CUBA.

    (a) Harmonized Tariff Schedule Amendments.--General note 3(b) of 
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended--
            (1) by striking ``to section 401 of the Tariff 
        Classification Act of 1962,''; and
            (2) by striking ``Cuba''.
    (b) Repeal of Section 401 of the Tariff Classification Act of 
1962.--Section 401 of the Tariff Classification Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 
1351 note) is repealed.
    (c) Termination of Application of Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 
to Cuba.--
            (1) Extension of nondiscriminatory treatment.--
        Nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) 
        shall apply to the products of Cuba.
            (2) Termination of application of title iv.--Title IV of 
        the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.) shall cease to 
        apply to Cuba.
    (d) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments and repeal 
made by this section, shall apply with respect to goods entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the 15th day 
after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    The President shall submit to Congress, not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, a report on trade relations 
between the United States and Cuba.
                                 <all>